Love Where You Live: Radi Buenrostro embraces her future in Goshen area

Radharani Buenrostro is a huge fan of Wonder Woman. Pictures and drawings of the superhero surround her workspace.

Radi, as she’s known, is a wonder woman in her own right.

“I just want to give back to the community and make it stronger,” she said.

She came here with her family when she was 7 years old and graduated from Goshen High School in 2008. In May, she earned her associate degree in business administration from Ivy Tech Community College as she works full time for attorney Felipe Merino helping clients.

At Ivy Tech, she was president of the Latino Student Alliance and the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. She was named the Distinguished Graduate for the South Bend-Elkhart Region.

She’s also part of the Dreamers In Action group in northern Indiana, a collection of young people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and allies that advocate and lobby on behalf of immigrants.

“I just want to give back to the community and make it stronger,” says Radi Buenrostro. (Photos by Grant Beachy)

She’s watched this community she loves grow with First Fridays and new businesses. She plans to add one of her own someday by opening a restaurant after she finishes her bachelor’s degree in business.

She’s loved the calm, quiet community, but sees how people care for the community as a place and a group of people. “I love how inclusive it is,” said Radi. “It’s so vibrant, it’s bright, it’s happy.”

She was pleased how people came together to speak against a proposed immigration center in Elkhart County. “I also see community members coming forward to say how can I help,” she said. “You just see the heart in people here. They’re very accepting.”

She’s not looking elsewhere for opportunities or more education. She’s seeking those here. “It feels like a safe place because of all the people here,” she said.

Marshall V. King is a Goshen-based free-lance writer. He wrote this piece on behalf of Vibrant Communities.